The New Eurovision Song Contest 05
For the last edition, see The New Eurovision Song Contest 04 The New Eurovision Song Contest 05 '''was the fifth edition of The New Eurovision Song Contest. It was held in France. It is the second time the contest will take place in France after Imany won the fourth edition with their song "Don't Be So Shy". Host Venue Palais des sports de Marseille is a multi-purpose arena, located in Marseille, France. The seating capacity of the arena varies, 5,800 people and it was opened in 1988. Location '''Marseilles, also known in French as Marseille, is the second-largest city of France. The capital of the Bouches-du-Rhône department and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, it is located on France's south coast and had a population of 852,516 in 2012,and an area of 241 km2 (93 sq mi), the third-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris and Lyon. Known to the ancient Greeks and Romans as Massalia, Marseille was the most important trading centre in the region and the main commercial port of the French Republic. Marseille is now France's largest city on the Mediterranean coast and the largest port for commerce, freight and cruise ships. The city was European Capital of Culture, together with Košice, Slovakia, in 2013. It hosted the FIFA World Cup 1998 and the UEFA Euro 2016, and it was the European Capital of Sport in 2017. The city is home to several campuses of Aix-Marseille University and part of one of the largest metropolitan conurbations in France, the Metropolis of Aix-Marseille-Provence. Marseilles is the second-largest city in France after Paris and the centre of the third-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris and Lyon. To the east, starting in the small fishing village of Callelongue on the outskirts of Marseille and stretching as far as Cassis, are the Calanques, a rugged coastal area interspersed with small fjord-like inlets. Further east still are the Sainte-Baume (a 1,147 m (3,763 ft) mountain ridge rising from a forest of deciduous trees), the city of Toulon and the French Riviera. To the north of Marseille, beyond the low Garlaban and Etoile mountain ranges, is the 1,011 m (3,317 ft) Mont Sainte Victoire. To the west of Marseille is the former artists' colony of l'Estaque; further west are the Côte Bleue, the Gulf of Lion and the Camargue region in the Rhône delta. The airport lies to the north west of the city at Marignane on the Étang de Berre. The city's main thoroughfare (the wide boulevard called the Canebière) stretches eastward from the Old Port to the Réformés quarter. Two large forts flank the entrance to the Old Port—Fort Saint-Nicolas on the south side and Fort Saint-Jean on the north. Further out in the Bay of Marseille is the Frioul archipelago which comprises four islands, one of which, If, is the location of Château d'If, made famous by the Dumas novel The Count of Monte Cristo. The main commercial centre of the city intersects with the Canebière at rue St Ferréol and the Centre Bourse (one of the city's main shopping malls). The centre of Marseille has several pedestrianised zones, most notably rue St Ferréol, Cours Julien near the Music Conservatory, the Cours Honoré-d'Estienne-d'Orves off the Old Port and the area around the Hôtel de Ville. To the south east of central Marseille in the 6th arrondissement are the Prefecture and the monumental fountain of Place Castellane, an important bus and metro interchange. To the south west are the hills of the 7th and 8th arrondissements, dominated by the basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde. Marseille's main railway station—Gare de Marseille Saint-Charles—is north of the Centre Bourse in the 1st arrondissement; it is linked by the Boulevard d'Athènes to the Canebière. This is the second time the contest will take place in France. Rule changes For this edition, it is announced that there will be a number of rule changes. In the previous editions, songs from the national finals of the Eurovision Song Contest are allowed. However it is revealed that it will be forbidden for this edition and for the next editions. In the previous editions, artists from the Eurovision Song Contest are forbidden. However from this edition it is allowed to choose an Eurovision artist but it needs to be those who failed to qualify. Participating Countries Semi-finalists Finalists Other Countries